DENVER — Let's dive right into the latest round of MLB rumors and news, including some anxious moments for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw.
Despite the future Hall of Famer throwing 5.2 innings of no-hit baseball as the Dodgers posted a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field, there was still plenty of reason for concern after the game.
Kershaw was lifted at the end of the sixth inning, despite allowing just one hit and seemingly in control of the Rockies after 79 pitches, eventually becoming the first pitcher this season to reach the 10-win mark. Following the game, however, both manager Dave Roberts and Kershaw indicated that the reason for the exit was health-related.
MLB news: Worries about the health of Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw told reporters after the game that he "didn't feel great overall" and dodged questions about exactly what that meant, pushing everything ahead to Wednesday and saying he needed some time to figure out exactly what was going on.
"Let me get to [Wednesday] and figure everything out," Kershaw said. "I'm not trying to be sneaky. I'm just trying to get through tomorrow and see where I'm at. Maybe there's nothing to report. That'll be good."
Kershaw would not rule out any back issues, a problem that has plagued him in the past, but Roberts seemed hopeful postgame that Tuesday's fatigue was nothing serious.
"Right now, I'm not concerned," Roberts said. "For me, we've been riding him a lot. You look at his last few starts, I think we pushed him a lot. Tonight, whatever it was, I think there was some fatigue."
There will be some anxious moments for Dodgers fans until Kershaw and Roberts speak again on Wednesday. I'll be there for the updates and will provide the latest news and comments from inside the L.A. clubhouse.
MLB rumors: New York Mets won't give up prospects at trade deadline
While the Mets may need to make some moves in order to save their season and make the postseason, general manager Billy Eppler made it very clear that the franchise will not mortgage its future to compete in the present.
"Same approach [as last year]," Eppler told members of the media during a wide-ranging session. "Last year we were not particularly willing to part with the top-level talent."
That says all you need to know about the Mets, who could well get a boost from owner Steve Cohen's message he will deliver before Wednesday's game. New York (36-43 on the season) spent all offseason on a spending spree because it needed veterans to go along with the few younger players (Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez included) who could be used from a farm system that had been depleted through trades by the previous administration in Queens. New York ranked 11th in MLB's farm system rankings heading into the season, with Baty and Alvarez two off the key reasons why. With those two players now in Queens, New York will likely make sure it tries to rebuild its farm system rather than completely draining it.
Could the Mets be a seller? We'll know more after Cohen's message and the games for New York before the All-Star break.
MLB rumors: Boston Red Sox should be worried about Garrett Whitlock
After coming back off the injured list following an elbow injury, things have not gone well for Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock.
Since being activated on May 27, the 27-year-old right-hander has allowed 41 hits in 34.2 innings of work, with his pitching slash line rising to a 5.15 ERA/4.28 FIP/1.322 WHIP. Those numbers include back-to-back disasters, one of which was Tuesday night's outing at Fenway Park against the Miami Marlins where he surrendered 11 hits and six runs (including two home runs) in 4.2 innings of work.
This month alone, opponents are hitting .311 against Whitlock.
Granted, Whitlock was allowing hits and runs before going on the injured list (19 hits and 11 runs in 16.0 innings covering three starts in April), but there doesn't seem to be any improvement as the calendar turns to July, a problem for the Red Sox rotation as the team enters Wednesday at 40-40 on the season and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
With Chris Sale and Tanner Houck on the injured list, depth in the rotation for the Red Sox is already thin. A struggling Whitlock isn't making things any easier inside Fenway Park.
